Crimson Lamb
by Kari Twilight Mist
Summary: When Mello fell sick he asked Matt to interview Beyond Birthday. While Matt does, he comes to realize that he and Beyond are bound by more than just an interview, but by a red string of fate. AU OOC


**Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this chapter or story!**

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Crimson Lamb

**This is written as a veeeerry belated thanks to** Insanity Breaking Point** for some fanart she made for _You Can bet On It_.**

***THIS IS THE CENSORED VERSION! ***

**There will be a link to the full version on my profile.**

Also thanks to RedBlackTeal and MihaelJKeehl on Mangabullet for some help with this. :)

Matt POV

Mello had been sick. He had refused to admit it but_ he_ could only take so much of Mello teetering to the room where they had talked. _He _had gotten tired of rolling his eyes after a while after Mello had almost been throwing up but bullshitting that he had eaten too much chocolate. It had been then _he_ had refused to see Mello in petulance. He; Beyond Birthday. Mello had been interviewing him and had refused to let me see his notes. He had only given me a list of questions which I had left in the car in a soda pop cup I had gotten at a McDonalds because I had been hungry before the interview. Beyond had been in solitary confinement which had made things so much easier. Apparently he had attacked a guard who had been using brutal force on another prisoner. When the guard had been pinned down and incapacitated he had snarled, "It's not his time!" then had been dragged away laughing maniacally. I had been informed this was a rather common occurrence and many times there had been requests he be sent to an institute for the criminally insane not here. L had denied them all. Mello worshiped L but I didn't really care. That made keeping Beyond out of the loony bin, where if he was drugged at least he wouldn't have been a danger, seem petulant. _Insane _I had thought with a snort. _I can't name a single Wammy's kid who isn't_. _We will all either end up in an asylum or dead before we reach one. _I had sighed. Apparently getting pickles when I had _clearly asked for none_ in _three different languages_ just to be sure made me angsty.

I had entered the security check and had been asked to leave all items on me behind. For all the guards had known I was a concerned relative that had finally decided to have a talk. It was sort of true. If you stretched "true" like a rubber band. I had then been patted down and had bitten my tongue to keep any smartass comments from escaping my mouth. My beloved goggles had been added to the storage bag for my time there but the thin remote in my boot had been overlooked along with the envelope of newspaper clippings that would make a nice bribe if needed. I was well aware the infamous Beyond Birthday could actually have killed me with newspaper clippings if he had so chose. Dangerous waters.

A guard in an official gray uniform with a California State Prison badge had escorted me down the hall. He had been wearing a black tie which had been just asking for trouble to me but whatever. My fingers had twitched as I had realized I would have to go for a while still without a smoke. The guard had stopped at a white, heavy iron door with a small Plexiglass window with thick iron bars over it. The number two was spray-stenciled in black below the window. I had bitten back a smirk at the bitter irony. "Alright Mr. Charles, I'll escort you to him. Be warned he is our most dangerous prisoner here. If you need help, we'll be monitoring you and will assist you." I had nodded and he had opened the door to reveal Beyond Birthday strapped down to a bed.

"Hey it's Henry" I had said lifting my arm in a halfhearted wave. I had just given him my alias and I could tell he had already put two and two together. I had looked closer and had seen the exposed patches of his skin had nasty red and sometimes blackish burns. His eyes had been hooded by shaggy black hair that I had noticed was rather patchy but I had seen the burned skin beneath. I had been able to tell his vision had been impaired. I had no clue how the patches where his hair survived existed but I assumed he had lit himself from the ground up so it wouldn't have been obvious he had dumped gasoline on his head. Mello had forbidden me to read his notes but I had needed _some_ background to work with for this.

"Bang on the door if you need me" the guard had said then left and locked it.

"Maximum security my ass" I had muttered with an eyeroll.

I had then heard the scariest sound I have ever heard and I had realized he was chuckling. "You come here in his stead." He has said then looked at his bindings. "Undo these." Not "Help me up" or "I can't see you like this." No. It had been a flat-out demand.

I had leaned against the door and had put my hands in my pockets. "You honestly think I'm that stupid?" I had raised an eyebrow.

"No. I honestly think you are smarter than that." The way he had said it had been odd. It couldn't have been more blatantly obvious he hadn't been talking about the bindings. I wouldn't understand what he meant until I felt myself being hailed with gunfire. Not live and not let learn eh? He had looked above my head and sighed. "Such a pity. Here you could have been the lamb that ran as well but no…"

"Are you making _The_ _Silence of the Lambs_ reference?" I asked dryly. "Do you mean the part where the woman who had to live on a farm when her dad died said she had found some lambs in the barn that were intended to be made into veal and tried to set them free but none ran or even fought? How she tried to save one by carrying it and running but grew too weak and ended up having to leave it and it was killed but never put up a struggle until then? That the girl is Mello and I am the lamb because I follow him?" See? I had even figured it out. So close.

He had looked above my head again and sighed. "No. You are more stupid than the rest." I had narrowed my eyes and then went up to him and glared. He had looked back completely unfazed. "You have questions."

I had gritted my teeth. "You only give Mello teasers of your crimes. You play him like a harp._ I_ on the other hand couldn't give a shit about them. _I _want to go _home_." I had turned to leave. I hadn't been bluffing. I really hadn't wanted to stay.

"You want to go home Mail?" he had asked and I froze with my hand raised to knock. I had then walked over to him and sat near him with my head down then reached into my boot and had activated the remote. Until I had stopped it I was in that pose in the footage. I had looked up and glared at him. "Mail Thibault Jeevas. Strange name not that I'm one to talk." He had shifted under the chained bed. "You've read about the eyes but doubted I assume." I had nodded. "And the lamb can bleat." I had frowned and realized he had been saying I had _some_ rebellion against Mello. He had shifted again then laid back and sighed. "You have no home and you never will. You know this already."

I had looked down knowing he was right. Wammy's had been an asylum of its own. I had looked at his bindings then had used a hairpin I had in the envelope of newspaper clippings to pick the lock. He got up shakily into a sitting position and grabbed the clippings. "I'll have to put you back." I had figured I was wasting my breath though. I had released him. He had nodded though, surprising me.

"Can't have you breaking Mello's heart so soon." He had speed-read the articles. I had looked at him curiously and he had reached out and stroked my hair. "Or can we?"

I had sucked in a breath._ Prison. No sex. No gentle contact. Horny male… shit._

"You're trembling" he had muttered and I had nodded. He had stroked my hair more slowly then, weaving his fingers in a bit. "I love this color. Crimson. So much of my life is crimson… Ask your questions."

I had been shivering and blushing now as he had trailed his nose across my neck. "W-what d-i- i" I moaned as he nibbled my ear. "Th-the hell-l?" _Why am I acting like this? _I had thought.

"There is an age old legend. Very old from many, many countries but originating in East Asia. It says two people who are meant to be together are bound by an invisible crimson string" he had said as if he had read the question in my mind. "Ours will break soon and never be fixed." I had realized he meant the connection I had been feeling then would never come to be again. He had been telling me he knew he was going to die and he had wanted me to leave him after this because it would hurt us both if I were to return. "I have waited for this one moment of strength though in the fibers" he had finished softly and I had realized he meant he had waited his whole life just for that moment when both of us had felt the tangible bond surrounding us like a binding rope.

My eyes had widened. I had then vaguely remembered the crazy old woman in the apartment next to my family's apartment in Luquet, France. She had often spoken of that legend. I had slowly looked at him then had sucked in a breath as his once chocolate brown eyes were now crimson. "Show me" I had breathed wanting to feel the bond more and knowing he could help me. His lips had quickly sealed mine. A scarred hand had grasped the left side of my head while the other had worked on my jeans. I had grabbed the zipper to his jumpsuit and pulled it down easily.

"Looped feed?" He had growled as a question in my ear. I had swallowed, still afraid, but nodded.

"Until I re-activate it." He had nodded and pushed me on my back. I had been sitting but I had still bumped my head. He had lifted my shirt and kissed my abdomen as an apology. He had then tugged my boots off and saw the device that controlled the feed in them and placed it on his bed. The bed had buckles and restraints but even without them I had sensed to floor would be more comfortable. It had hit me then I should be afraid for entirely different reasons.

"_Tu es à moi_ _agneau cramiosi_." He had whispered as he released into me. _You are mine crimson lamb._

"_Oui. Maintenant, je me sens la connection aussi_." _Yes I feel the connection too now_.

He had pulled out and nodded. "It will not stay when you leave." I had nodded sadly in understanding.

I had then sat up with a wince knowing time had been running out fast. He had hurriedly helped me get dressed and had cleaned most of the mess up with his boxers. They would hide it until they were washed with many identical pairs. I had started crying which he ignored since it was awkward. He did ask one thing though. "Do you regret it?"

I had paused then said, "I honestly don't know. I do regret the loss of that connection. It will never be the same will it?" He had made no response, verbal or physical. It had felt like a slap but I had known it was merely a preparation.

When we had to part I swear I felt the string severing. I had re-locked him and had given him a final kiss then gathered everything. I had to wipe up a small bit of evidence with the bottom of my left pant leg. I then went to the position I had been in before and had pressed the button again just as the guard had asked if I was OK. I then went to the door and knocked. The guard had noticed I was crying but asked nothing. I had gathered my things from the security officer at the front and had gone to my car. I as I sat I had winced. As I had turned the key in the black Rolls Royce L had provided I swear I heard the thread, our connection, snap. I had then felt empty. The feeling had lasted. When I got back to the hotel room Mello and I were staying in, Mello had raged at me for not getting answers to his questions and had asked why I had a limp. I had ignored him.

Now I'm here. The lamb that didn't bleat and is now dying in crimson. My story of being a crimson lamb had ended but… suddenly I'm able to sit up and I see a glowing crimson string on my ankle leading to- "Beyond!" I jumped up and tackled him into a hug noticing our string grew stronger as I did. I lowered my goggles and smiled. "Baa" I said and he laughed that creepy laugh.

As we headed towards where Mello was mostly dying, Beyond smirked. "I'll be having lamb for dinner" he said and gave me a predatory wink.

Once again: **THIS IS THE CENSORED VERSION!**

**There will be a link to the full version on my profile.**


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